http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/malware/ en-us Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:16:45 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044586/posts A software update for the Windows operating system has left hundreds and thousands of computer users unable to access the internet. The update, known as a "patch", conflicts with another piece of software, the Zone Alarms firewall, that many people use to protect their computers from hackers and viruses. The patch, codenamed MS08-037, was designed to fix a security loophole in the way Windows handles website addresses. It was discovered that there was a weakness with the operating system that could allow hackers to re-route legitimate web pages to malicious websites instead, and leave internet users open to fraud... telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044586/posts#comment Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:16:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2044081/posts In my little house we have an HP desktop and an ARCHOS 605 wifi (amongh other things) and for the longest time they worked perfectly together. Then one day they were no longer on speaking terms. Though each by itself worked out-- and checked out-- AOK. So, after some very careful investigation -- and a $$ an hour computer guy -- the problem almost certainly is a virus, or what have you. So, can anyone recommand a good de-bugging program? We just have the plain-vanilla AOL virus protection (quit snickering) and so...well...any recommandations? Thanks http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2044081/posts#comment Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:05:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033724/posts After poring over the laptop, Loehrs reported to the court “with 100-percent certainty that the laptop was compromised by numerous viruses and trojans, and may have been hacked by outside sources.” “There is no evidence to support the claim that Michael Fiola was responsible for any of the pornographic activity,” she wrote. All the porn, she said, was located in the laptop’s cache, a computer feature that stores copies of Web pages. Consistently, Loehrs’ findings noted, there was “no apparent origin or user interaction preceding the pornographic activity,” some of which was downloaded “fast and furious.” Wark said Fiola’s case... The Boston Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033724/posts#comment Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:14:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2021656/posts Is anyone else using Avast Free Virus Scan getting a Trojan alert on Super Anti Syyware.exe command? I'm getting it on the boot up scan and Avast has no way of marking it a false positive. Warning shows Win32: Trogan-Gen with no anme associated except the Spyware program. none http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2021656/posts#comment Tue, 27 May 2008 00:03:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2012015/posts Yahoo search to 'battle spyware' SearchScan is a free tool embedded into search Yahoo is introducing new technology to its search engine which will warn users if they are about to click on a website that hosts viruses, spyware and spam. SearchScan uses security firm McAfee's SiteAdvisor technology to warn users about "potentially risky sites". The service, which is switched on by default, produces an on-screen alert. "Our goal is to protect users by allowing them to make a more informed decision about the sites they visit," said Yahoo's Priyank Garg. Rival firm Google introduced similar technology in 2006.... BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2012015/posts#comment Tue, 6 May 2008 17:26:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2010315/posts How can I remove system integrity scan wizard from my system? Since yesterday, this keeps popping up. I have run my Professional AVG AV software as well as Adaware and this is the one thing that I am unable to get rid of. Is there a free online program that will remove this? Thanks!! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2010315/posts#comment Fri, 2 May 2008 17:32:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008361/posts Over the past three days, Yahoo has been exposing visitors to banner ads that try to trick them into installing malware, and there's no indication anyone at the company is even aware of the problem. According to Microsoft MVP Sandi Hardmeier's "Spyware Sucks" blog, the ads are displayed across a wide swath of the web portal's sprawling empire, including Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Groups and Yahoo Astrology. Hardmeier first sounded the alarm on Saturday, and yet on Monday, Yahoo continued to run the rogue ads, she reported. El Reg emailed three different Yahoo PR reps but never did get a response. The Register http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008361/posts#comment Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:30:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1998262/posts Researches have unearthed what they say is the biggest botnet ever. It comprises over 400,000 infected machines, more than twice the size of Storm, which was previously believed to be the largest zombie network. Machines from at least 50 Fortune 500 companies have been observed to be running the malicious software that's at the heart of "Kraken," the botnet that security firm Damballa has been tracking for the last few weeks. So far, only about 20 percent of the anti-virus products out there are detecting the malware. Just as a con artist might throw off detectives by changing his hair... The Register http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1998262/posts#comment Tue, 8 Apr 2008 02:34:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1988278/posts The sheer volume and complexity of computer viruses being released on the Internet today has the anti-virus industry on the defensive, experts say, underscoring the need for consumers to avoid relying on anti-virus software alone to keep their home computers safe and secure. washingtonpost.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1988278/posts#comment Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:30:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1985403/posts From iPods to navigation systems, some of today's hottest gadgets are landing on store shelves with some unwanted extras from the factory -- pre-installed viruses that steal passwords, open doors for hackers and make computers spew spam. ADVERTISEMENT Computer users have been warned for years about virus threats from downloading Internet porn and opening suspicious e-mail attachments. Now they run the risk of picking up a digital infection just by plugging a new gizmo into their PCs. Recent cases reviewed by The Associated Press include some of the most widely used tech devices: Apple iPods, digital picture frames sold by... ap http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1985403/posts#comment Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:09:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1985262/posts Hackers launch massive IFrame attack Gregg Keizer March 13, 2008 (Computerworld) Hackers using a new scam continue to subvert hundreds of thousands of Web pages with IFrame redirects that send unwary users to malware-spewing sites, researchers said today. The attacks, which began about a week ago, show no signs of slowing, said Dancho Danchev in a posting to his blog yesterday. "The group is continuing to expand the campaign," said the Bulgarian researcher. "These are the high-profile sites targeted by the same group within the past 48 hours, with the number of locally cached and IFrame-injected pages within their search... ComputerWorld.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1985262/posts#comment Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:45:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1982515/posts I've been searching for a free download version of adware/spyware removal. The sites I find says free but after turning a couple of pages on the site, dollar signs are always at the end of the article.Is there a truly FREE download, no bait and switch? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1982515/posts#comment Sat, 8 Mar 2008 17:52:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1980909/posts HANOVER (03/04/2008)- A rootkit uncovered in the wild in December is proving to be a real headache to detect, according to Finnish security company F-Secure.Dubbed "Mebroot," the rootkit infects the master boot record (MBR), the first sector of a PC's hard drive that the computer looks to before loading the operating system. Since it loads before anything else, Mebroot is nearly invisible to security software."You can't execute any earlier than that," said Mikko Hypponen F-Secure's chief research officer A rootkit is a malicious program that hides deep in a computer's operating system and can be difficult to remove. Since December,... Yahoo News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1980909/posts#comment Wed, 5 Mar 2008 21:26:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1979694/posts (This has become increasingly irritating. Why do I need three or four things running to do ONE job!) Unfortunately, eweek doesn't want anyone a FR to read them! The link to the above titled article is here.The resulting Slashdot discussion is here. see link http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1979694/posts#comment Mon, 3 Mar 2008 18:37:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1975186/posts The battle against the botnet hordes By Chris Vallance Reporter, BBC iPM Few owners of hijacked PCs know their machine has been attacked On 11th February a US teenager who used the online nickname of "Sobe" pleaded guilty to delinquency charges resulting from his surreptitious installation of adware on hundreds of thousands of computers. The computers "Sobe" used had been hi-jacked and co-opted into a network of computers called a "botnet". Botnets are networks of computers which have been subverted by malicious code so they fall under the control of cyber criminals. Typically owners of machines forming a botnet... BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1975186/posts#comment Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:09:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1966206/posts Ok, Daughter's laptop with an up to date anti-virus program and firewall has gotten infected with a worm called worm.win32.netsky. Can't find a removal program for this bugger and the scans haven't found or removed it. She was going to various School District web sites to apply for a teaching job when it happened It loaded on it's own new desktop icons, and diabled remove program from the task bar along with Ctl-Alt-Del. Anyone out there got ideas? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1966206/posts#comment Thu, 7 Feb 2008 02:12:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1956089/posts Digital photo frames containing malware have been found, heads up! http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=3807 http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=3787 self http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1956089/posts#comment Sat, 19 Jan 2008 02:48:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1972890/posts An insidious computer virus recently discovered on digital photo frames has been identified as a powerful new Trojan Horse from China that collects passwords for online games - and its designers might have larger targets in mind. "It is a nasty worm that has a great deal of intelligence," said Brian Grayek, who heads product development at Computer Associates, a security vendor that analyzed the Trojan Horse. The virus, which Computer Associates calls Mocmex, recognizes and blocks antivirus protection from more than 100 security vendors, as well as the security and firewall built into Microsoft Windows. It downloads files from... SFGate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1972890/posts#comment Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:25:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1971434/posts ** EXCERPT ** Cybercriminals may have weighed risk and reward and figured that the first isn't worth the second if they try to exploit the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, a security researcher at Symantec Corp. said Friday. At least for now. "We've now seen just two instances of spam using political candidates to spread malicious code," said Oliver Friedrichs, director of Symantec's security response team and a writer on electoral cybercrime. "I think [hackers] are still a little skittish. The high visibility of the federal elections makes them cautious about stepping into it." Earlier this week, researchers at both Symantec... PC World http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1971434/posts#comment Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:07:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1967679/posts Security Warning 2008: Top 11 Malware Threats To Watch Out For Here's a heads-up on the evolving security threats we can expect to see in the coming year, including emerging menaces such as badvertising, adsploits, anti-social networking, lieware, and whaling By Thomas Claburn InformationWeek February 7, 2008 01:18 PM By the end of 2008, McAfee Avert Labs predicts it will have identified some 550,000 malicious programs, a 54% increase from 2007. With all the new malware emerging, we can expect new terminology to describe these constantly morphing threats. Here, then, is our only slightly tongue-in-check attempt to predict some of... Information Week http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1967679/posts#comment Sat, 9 Feb 2008 17:10:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1961342/posts According to a press release issued earlier this month by Finjan, a security research firm, compromised Web servers are infecting thousands of visitors daily with malware that turns their Windows machines into unwitting bots to do the bidding of an as yet unidentified criminal organization. Security firms ScanSafe and SecureWorks have since added their own takes on the situation, though with varying estimates on the number of sites affected. All reports thus far say the compromised servers are running Linux and Apache. According to an article on ServerTune.com, the exploit involves a rootkit installed on the compromised server that replaces... Linux.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1961342/posts#comment Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:59:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1958502/posts The security firm Finjan says it has discovered a major new type of malware that has infected more than 10,000 Web sites in December alone. Deemed "random js toolkit," it is a Trojan that infects end users' PCs and sends data from the infected machine to the "master" hacker. It can be used to steal passwords, documents and other sensitive information. The malware dynamically creates and changes JavaScript code every time it is accessed, Finjan said. Thus, traditional anti-malware programs can't identify it. Finjan CTO Yuval Ben-Itzhak said in a release, "Signaturing a dynamic script is not effective. Signaturing the... Yahoo! News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1958502/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:24:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1957195/posts A small minority of users - as few as one in 20 - is running fully-patched Windows PCs. Just five per cent of newly-registered users of an online security inspection service Secunia came out with a clean bill of health, while more than 40 per cent have at least 11 insecure applications installed. The data is based on scans of 20,009 computers whose users recently installed Secunia's freely available software inspection tool. Secunia claims a total user base of more than 200,000 users for its free Secunia PSI tool. A survey of a different sample set of Secunia PSI recently... theregister.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1957195/posts#comment Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:25:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1949935/posts If you've signed up to receive e-mails from Sears, and then clicked on to join the retailer's "My SHC Community," it's likely you've been providing more information to more people than you thought. Even more troubling, it turns out that you're not just sharing information with Sears, but also with a company called comScore, which tracks and aggregates Internet browsing habits. Installing the software from Sears results in the installation of software called VoiceFive, which provides data to comScore. It's essentially spyware. comScore is the company behind the (disputed) numbers that indicated more people were stealing Radiohead's latest album than... switched/Aol news http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1949935/posts#comment Tue, 8 Jan 2008 00:28:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1947463/posts Sears and Kmart are places you might go when you need a new air conditioner filter or a lawnmower; they're not generally thought of as havens for spyware. But that's what the two stores have become, at least online, where their websites were found to be installing software to track users' every online move—all without their knowledge. Security researchers are now hammering Sears (the owner of both Sears.com and Kmart.com) for the move, despite Sears' claims that users were notified adequately beforehand. The story goes like this: late last year, Sears.com and Kmart.com began asking users if they wanted to... ars technica http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1947463/posts#comment Thu, 3 Jan 2008 01:52:58 GMT